Error - Connection Failed

America's Popular Culture is approaching complete convenience, we are also departing from our heritage, the ways of our past generations. We would rather stay firm in our laziness; live out fantasies through made up worlds, attaching ourselves to a mobile leash, and sacrificing family for extra curricular time. Americans have become reliant on convenience. The American culture relies on convenience so much that it can now be considered a part of our Popular Culture. Leaving behind only a vague memory, the good old days are done and gone. The idea of family night is a thing of the past, these days even the word family is used rather loosely.

There has been a break down within the family unit, quite possibly within the entire aspect of the American lifestyle. So why has it become more convenient to give up on family togetherness? What makes Taco Bell taste better than a home cooked meal? Why do Americans choose to wear a mobile leash? What divides families and drives them to spend as little time together as possible? The Internet, cell phones, Fast Food, these are just a few of the crutches Americans use to stifle family togetherness. Somewhere along the way, the average American's connection to reality, real life experience, and family has failed. As a culture Americans need to spend more time with their families and loved ones, and less time driving through the drive through, chatting on the cell phone, and fantasizing about fake realities while getting lost in the never-ending web of the online world.

Somehow, while The Internet has been said to be the greatest form of human communication. It is many things but is it really the greatest form? With its ideas all twisted and so many personalities all searching for something, but truly lost in a cyber world, with no end. If by some chance you, under some sort of miracle, were able to find the end of the internet, there would be a little message box that says, "Error: Internet connection failed," and suddenly your back at the beginning again. Would it be too much to ask for us as a family to communic2238ate with each other instead of possibly imaginary people we meet on the net?

Our entire culture is based on a need for convenience, which has replaced our idea of the American family. People across the U.S. rely on the internet, a make believe world of pretend and illusion to entertain themselves. Adults and minors alike rely on the convenience of Fast Food. Children gain unnecessary freedom by getting connected through the cellular world. Our entire popular culture seems to be surviving off of need, the need for convenience and technical advancement. We are out on the town, attached to a leash that makes us within a phone call or an e-mail away from anyone who might need something from us. Soon we will all have chips in our wrists replacing the all famous wrist watch. Accompanied by a chip in our heads that connects us to a giant satellite in the sky transmitting our thoughts across the world, by phone, internet, fax, text, however and whenever necessary. Is this what we are becoming as a species? Will we all end up with no privacy or time to ourselves, caught up in a robotic cyber world, unavailable to the reality that surrounds us?

The ball is in our court, as American's we need to make the choice to sacrifice convenience to preserve our relationships, our health, our families, our lives, ultimately: the structure of our future society. You may now be wondering what you can to do to change something as huge as society, but its possible. Each person has their own individual power that can produce results never even within a flicker of imagination. It starts with one person, one act, and one destiny, from that it grows into a nation of people who believe in something, something that can change lives, one at a time. Now, this belief can be applied to many things, spiritual, political, and of course to preserving the family unit, the ancestral and historical involvement in creating our future generations. Choose to accomplish life by your own power, not by society's popular culture.

Become an individual. I'm not suggesting that we should all throw our cell phones in the toilet, our laptops out the window, scratch Fast Food out of our vocabularies, or throw our extra curricular activities to the side, all I am saying is can't we find some sort of balance between real world experience and technology, for our kids, our lives, and our future. Somewhere the connection has failed: the connection with real people, with real food, with the idea of home, family, and the survival of our history. Americans are constantly standing in the dark, waiting for the next big thing to happen, instead of enjoying the everyday lives they have made for themselves. As I have already posed throughout this essay, an individual choice must be made regarding our contribution to changing the world into a technically advanced masterpiece. What we each do will influence the change, for better or for worse. We need to decide if we want to have the chips installed in our wrists and heads, or if we want to be individuals with the ability to tune out the outside world and spend time with our families. My choice is obvious, is yours?

Rae Serenity

http://www.myspace.com/rae_serenity

Home Remodeling

10 Eco-Friendly Home Improvement Ideas

Today, it's more important than ever to consider eco-friendly or "green" products and materials when you improve your home. This is of course because we want to do our part to keep the environment healthy, but it's also because most of us can't afford to waste money on inefficient homes. Many products and materials that are eco-friendly can also help your pocket book--think inexpensive heating and cooling bills, low water bills, and affordable gas or electricity bills.

Landscapingstairs

Mold Testing - Forensic Science Investigation for your Family's Health

If you have reason to believe you have a mold problem in your home, you may need to consider getting professional help. Investigating your own home for mold problems is certainly a step you should take, but if your sleuthing does not come up with solid evidence then you will need to get mold testing done. Though it is an expense most homeowners would prefer to avoid, mold can be a serious health issue and should not be taken lightly.

Investigating on your own before bringing in a professional is fine, so long as your investigations do not end up disturbing mold and spreading the dangerous spores into the air. The easiest way to begin searching for mold is to follow your nose; mold and mildew have a distinctive smell, which is generally associated with damp surroundings. Indeed, mold needs moisture to survive, so the best place to start is any area where you know there has been water leaking or seeping into the home. This could be something as large as a roof or plumbing leak, or simple condensation from con1C84stant steamy showers or an improperly tuned air conditioning unit.

Surface mold is easily detected, and generally easy to dispose of. Many commercial mold killers exist on the market and most do a fine job. The more insidious types of mold, however, are often hidden behind walls or under carpets, and this is where mold testing comes in.

Professional mold testers have the tools and expertise to uncover mold hidden in many parts of the household. Often they will take cultures and grow the mold spores in a lab, to discover what kinds of mold are growing, and whether they are benign or dangerous. Though scent is a good indicator of mold, it is not always practical to sniff around the entire home, and sometimes areas are missed. Also, some types of molds are less 'nose-worthy' than others, though no less damaging to your families health.

If you have had a leak or flood or other water intensive problem in the home, there is a good chance that mold has had a chance to grow. Mold spores simply float around in the air, and it doesn't take much to allow them to thrive. However, unless the area remains moist, the mold will dry up. This doesn't mean the problem is necessarily solved, as the spores still end up airborne, and ultimately breathed in.

If your own investigations have proved fruitless, but you are still convinced there may be mold in the home, then mold testing is imperative. The cost can be significant, however, so it is best to try and find out as much on your own as possible. However, the cost is often worth it, when hidden mold is discovered in places you might not have expected.

It is also a good idea to have mold testing done when buying a home, as part of the general building inspection, as the history of the home is not always disclosed. In the event of a flood, professional mold removal services can be quite ruthless, often cutting out large pieces of wallboard to remove and sanitize mold breeding grounds. Some homeowners prefer to avoid the expense of this kind of large-scale disaster relief, but the result can often be hidden mold in the walls. As a home buyer, you want to be sure that you are not buying hidden mold as well.

Though mold testing can be expensive, if you suspect there may be mold but you have not been able to find any, it may be worth it. Mold can cause many serious illnesses, particularly respiratory sickness, so removing mold is imperative. The cost of not testing for, and removing mold will ultimately be born by the health of your family.

For more information on mold testing and household mold, please visit:

http://www.HealthyHomeFacts.com

Brent Craig is a writer and researcher with an interest in healthy home options.

How To Find The Waste Pipe

Insights Into the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

The incredible collapse of the Minneapolis bridge will send a message to the nation that has been repeatedly sent for decades, but that our political system has refused to effectively respond to. Americas physical, engineered infrastructure has been in desperate need for massive spending to repair and replace, but the multi-trillion-dollar cost has been rejected by local, state and federal politicians.

We have had bipartisan government neglect. The bridge fell down because our politicians have let us down.

First, understand that I have a professional background in this area. My career started as a metallurgist, than I obtained a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering and became a full professor of metallurgical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where I taught about mechanical metallurgy and failure analysis, and in my consulting practice regularly worked on explaining actual failures of products and systems.

Many academic and professional groups have for many years produced countless reports on mounting unpaid public costs for updating our crucial physical infrastructure, including bridges, but going way beyond those to, for example, roads, water and sewer systems, tunnels and much more. Make no mistake: The deeply researched and totally supported case for a massive national infrastructure spending program could not have been clearer. For example, in an excellent essay It's Time to Rebuild America, Felix G. Rohatyn and Warren Rudman wrote about the national crisis.

But spending on infrastructure is not sexy and politicians at ALL levels of government have found countless excuses for not facing the totality of the problem. Instead, public spending is dribbled out, dealing with the most urgent problems or, worse yet, the ones that are the most visible to the public. But unaddressed are massive numbers of problems, such as the Minneapolis bridge and thousands more bridges, that our bureaucratic system has learned to game, postpone, rationalize and, therefore, put the public safety at considerable risk.

As a metallurgist I can pretty much assure you that if there is a technically honest and complete investigation, the ultimate explanation of the Minneapolis bridge failure will be related to fatigue cracking in the metal structure. Already, news reports have revealed some prior observation of a fatigue problem with the bridge and that the bridge had a relatively low rating of four out of a possible nine, showing that it was structurally deficient. The game played by virtually all government agencies is to find excuses for delaying the most costly repair or replacement of bridges and other parts of our physical infrastructure. As just another example, in most older urban areas there are constant repairs of busted underground water pipes. What is really needed, but avoided, is a total replacement of very old underground pipe systems in many places 100 or more years old!

Government inspection programs have been terribly compromised over many years. The incredible political pressures to minimize spending on infrastructure have filtered down to the people, procedures and technologies used to examine bridges and other things. When it comes to bridges it is also important to admit that many aspects of our automobile addiction have raised risks, including enormously greater numbers of vehicles creating heavy traffic during much of the day in urban regions. Add to this the massive increase in vehicle weight resulting from the incredible increase in monster SUVs, as well as huge increases in large truck traffic.

The Minneapolis bridge collapse happened during evening rush hour because that was a period of maximum stress, and that would be the trigger for expanding existing fatigue cracks. Once fatigue cracks get to critical sizes they grow and propagate very rapidly, producing powerful loads and stresses on remaining steel components and creating what appears to be a virtually instantaneous bridge collapse.

What should be the focus of government and public attention is the various inadequacies of bridge inspections. Were the very best metal analysis technologies used, rather than reliance on visual observations? Were the inspectors the very best educated and trained? Were inspections constrained by federal or state regulations and guidelines so that best available methods and technologies were not (justifiably) used? Here is the big point: The fact that this bridge fell down is proof positive that the entire inspection and maintenance program was a FAILURE! The central goal and responsibility of engineering practices is to protect the public and PREVENT deaths.

Can responsibility also be assigned to the design of the bridge? Yes, to some extent. The design was the opposite of fail-safe. If any key bridge structure component failed, then the entire bridge was doomed to fail. And perhaps it can be reasonably argued that at the time of the original design, that this feature was accepted practice. However, we must understand that if cost constraints had not been imposed, designers could probably have built in various redundancies so that only portions of the bridge would have failed under the most catastrophic scenarios.

Here is yet another big issue that I have not seen mentioned or discussed by anyone yet. I can absolutely guarantee that there were countless discussions over the years by engineers, bureaucrats and politicians that combined risk assessment and cost-benefit types of thinking. It comes down to this: To bite the bullet and conclude that to provide maximum protection of public safety the bridge should be replaced would inevitably face debates about the incredibly high costs and the enormous difficulties of obtaining the funding, and also how obtaining such funding would imperil other government projects.

So the decision moves in the direction of higher levels of inspection to postpone the inevitable high cost/low risk scenario. On the other hand, all people connected to these kinds of discussions know one big reality: If the crap hits the fan and there really is a catastrophic bridge failure, then the money WILL be readily available to replace it! This is the way the system works. Of course, to replace the bridge and deal with all the many horrific impacts of the bridge failure AFTER the fact will cost much, much more money than if a planned replacement strategy had been adopted!. But that is exactly what the Minneapolis story ultimately is all about. It is what virtually all of our national infrastructure thinking is about. The New Orleans disaster was totally preventable, as every technically sound and objective analysis showed.

As time goes on and our national physical infrastructure continues to degrade from many causes, including corrosion, fatigue and inevitable wear and tear, we will continue to see deaths, injuries and incredible economic harm. And, yes, global warming and all of its anticipated climatic changes will just increase the risks of catastrophic infrastructure failures. As just one example, sea level rise is known in some quarters to put in jeopardy virtually every major American city that sits on or close to a major water body. Ultimately, our biggest infrastructure investment will be for constructing massive, complicated dikes and walls, as the Dutch have done, to protect our major coastal cities.

The remaining public policy question is clear: Will the nation spend what is necessary? Seven other major bridge collapses in the last 40 years have not done the trick. Inadequate bridge inspection has been a frequent documented problem, as well as some design defects. Many people have already died from bridge failures. But still the nations elected officials have not bitten the bullet and agreed to spend trillions of dollars over several decades to bring Americas physical infrastructure up to the most modern standards. Waiting for politicians to make physical infrastructure a priority is like waiting for Godot.

Think about all this the next time you go over a bridge.

Upper View Of Brown Exterior Stair

The Secret to Golf Length

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethpage Black, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent forth two of his disciples. (Mark 11:1 K.J.V.) "Verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall have great length on Earth shall have unheard of length in Heaven", said Jesus to his disciples. And so the quest for great length off the tee began.

Every golfer is searching for the secret to golf. The secret is that there is a secret to golf, and you are about to learn it. Everyone knows that money is the root of all evil. Jesus commanded everyone to sell all of their possessions and to give all of the money to the poor. Are there any Christians on Earth today? When Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and he said, Is it not written, My House shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15-17).

During the time of Christ, golfers used wooden golf balls and wooden golf clubs made from the hickory tree. Then, in the early 1600s, the featherie golf ball was invented. The featherie golf ball was a hand sewn cowhide bag stuffed with goose feathers and painted. Because it flew so beautifully, it lasted for 200 years. In 1848 Reverend Doctor Robert Adams hardened the sap of the gutta percha tree into latex and invented the gutta percha golf ball, which replaced the featehrie golf ball from 1850 until 1900, when rubber took over. The rubber balls lasted until 1930. Todays balls have a titanium metal core with many layers of surlyn and balata coverings. Golf club shafts evolved from hickory tree wood with persimmon tree heads to steel shafts and now to graphite shafts with very large titanium heads. Despite the incredible advances in golf club and golf ball technology, the handicaps of male and female golfers have not gone down, according to noted author and custom club fitter Steven Passarell. How could this be? Here is the answer.

Famed Psychiatrist and 9 Handicap Sigmund Freud explained the human ego: The human ego is the part of the cerebellum concerned most with feeling like a great human being. In many cases of over developed cerebelli, the human being begins to believe that in a prior life, he was the Messiah Jesus Christ, or Napoleon Bonaparte, as a defense mechanism to the haranguing of over critical parents and the resulting wounded ego. (Austrian Journal of Medicine Volume XXIV, page 69). Golf club and golf ball manufacturers have known forever that the most important thing to the male and female golfer, the cure for an ego wounded in childhood is distance off the tee.

According to Stephen Hawking, the worlds greatest scientist, the Earth is 5 billion years old. A mere 2,500 years ago in Gehenna, just south of Jerusalem, in the valley of Gehinnom, the Jewish and non Jewish people of the land of Canaan used to sacrifice their first born male children on fire altars to the God Baal aka Beelzebub aka Satan. The drummers beat their drums loudly to drown out the screams of the burning alive babies. Golf club and golf ball manufacturers have known forever that golfers were perfectly willing to sacrifice accuracy and $500 for added distance off the tee. Their first clue was when golfers in the long drive competition would throw down their driver after their massive hit, and beat their chests with both fists, like the apes with which humans have 99% the same DNA.

From the time of Jesus Christ until the time of Jack Nicklaus, scientists knew that the exactly perfect length for the mens driver was 43. It didnt matter how tall you were because God gave taller players longer arms. Every golf club manufacturer from the time of Jesus until the time of Jack knew that if you made the driver shaft even 1/8 of an inch longer, the golfer would hit into the ground, and in an effort not to hit into the ground, the golfer would make swing changes and then begin to spray the ball all over the park. This is why at long driving contests the fairway is the width of a football field and the golfers with their long shafts are still blowing it out of bounds.

In the 1990s golf club manufacturers began to make the driver shafts 2 and 3 inches longer, 45 and 46. They marketed the fact that these golf clubs hit the ball further and golfers did not care if their 300 yard drive flew two fairways over that made the drive seem even longer. Ladies drivers went from the standard 42.5 inches used by Mary Magdalene and Kathy Whitworth to 44 and 45. As Nike Golf made millions selling 45 drivers, Tiger Woods continued to play with 43 steel shafted Nike drivers, and Tiger continued to lead in driving distance and piled up major after major playing against Pros who had switched to the 45 driver trying to match Tigers distance. Augusta National lengthened their golf course after Tiger won the Masters at 18 under. Jack Nicklaus and Slammin Sammy Snead hit the ball 300 yards right down the middle using 43 steel shafts with persimmon tree heads. The whole time that Tiger was on his major rampage, Nike Golf refused to make drivers with 43 shafts available to the public.

Billions of dollars of advertising have gone into convincing the public that 45 and 46 drivers are the next best thing to the arrival of Jesus Christ. Taylor Made and Titleist and Callaway and Nike Golf are making fortunes selling these too long shafts, and the PGA of America couldnt be happier. Their 32,000 golf professionals are making a fortune teaching golfers how to hit their too long woods and irons a feat impossible for the average golfer, which leads to endless lessons and purchases of golf books and golf magazines filled with golf tips and videos and CDs and golf swing training accessories. Suddenly, along comes Peter Kessler hawking the Perfect Club, because it goes straight, but the Perfect Driver loses about 75 yards in distance because get this, the shaft is 42 inches. The inch decrease costs the golfer a ton of yardage.

The first big golf company coming out with a graphite shafted 43 driver with a titanium head, with the new Prov1x golf ball, is going to wipe out the rest of the other golf club manufacturers, and bring the average handicap down by 8 shots, because there is no loss of distance, and the ball goes dead straight. In the meantime men cut your shaft down to 43 and ladies cut your shafts down to 42.5 inches. There will be no loss in accuracy or distance. Until then, choke up on your driver 2 and watch the ball fly long and straight off that big sweet spot time after time again. Shaving 8 shots off your score instantaneously should be a good thing for your ego and your bank account. This will also speed up pace of play, David Fay. Hasnt your ego suffered enough humiliation hunting for your $5 golf ball in the trees yet? In our next installment we will discuss how your golf club manufacturers silently de-lofted all of your club heads turning your 9 iron into a 7 iron to make you think that you are hitting your shaft lengthened de-lofted 9 iron farther. Didnt Jack use his towering ball flight to hold the greens at Augusta? The pros have their clubs custom made. You arent using the same clubs they are. Only the label is the same.

Speaking of Jesus, the X factor golf swing has been heralded as a way to improve your distance. It means that you keep your left heel down, make a tiny hip turn and a big shoulder turn to hit the ball farther. A noted former PGA tour player turned orthopedic surgeon, Bill Mallon, M.D., calls this the fastest way to blow out your back and wind up in excruciating life long pain, in his book, The Golf Doctor: How to Play a Better Healthier Round of Golf. Didnt Jack do OK letting his left heel come 2 off the ground? The surgeon recommends letting it come up even farther to save your back. Harry Vardons came up about 5 inches. Jesus recommended three. There is no need to sacrifice your back in your quest for added length off the tee. Try a longer driver, or a new golf psychologist. The only people not benefiting from these long shafts are the golfers. Everyone else, the whole golf industry, is laughing all the way to the bank.

Karen Fish is a writer currently living in Los Angeles California. The Temple of Love http://www.thetempleoflove.com/ The World Peace Site

Articles 2

Why Brand Yourself?

Think back to a time early in your career when you met with your boss for a performance review. Do you ever remember your boss stating something about your ability in a certain area, as if that was all you were good at?

Or has someone ever introduced you at a business function by stating an area of your expertise as if that was all you did? (Which made you think, Hey! Thats only a piece of what I do, but its certainly not all I do!)

If either of these situations occurred, you were branded (and burned!).

Perhaps something like this happened to you recently, or maybe youre wondering if you ever really defined your brand. (Its not too late!)

You can define your brand, re-work your brand, or tweak your brand. The important thing is that you know your brand and use it to its fullest potential.

Why Brand Yourself?

Branding yourself opens new and better doors for you. It ensures that you focus on work that you enjoy and that utilizes your strengths (even in creative ways). It also keeps you current in your field so that you can re-position your brand, if needed.

Branding yourself also ensures that other people are not in control of your brand. Last month I wrote, If you dont brand yourself, someone else will and it may not be the brand you want for yourself. When you let other people brand you, you let them control your future. You also let them control how others perceive you.

Wouldnt it be better if you branded yourself, controlled how others perceived you, and had more control over your future than other people?

And while thinking about why you would brand yourself, consider what you want branding to do for you, such as build credibility, earn more money, ensure that you will thrive in economic downturns, or open new doors of opportunity.

What else do you want branding to do for you?

This self-branding thing can get really involved: there are a lot of steps to discovering, creating, and marketing yourself as a brand successfully. To help you out, I've created a "Brand Yourself! Coaching Program". It is a self-paced coaching program you can purchase directly from Borgeson Consulting. I'm very excited about this program! Since it is self-paced, it is very affordable - less expensive than traditional coaching by telephone, and you complete it at your own pace.

The "Brand Yourself! Coaching Program" has 10 modules, taking you through each of the essential elements of personal branding. Call (630-653-0992) or e-mail (info@BorgesonConsulting.com) to find out more about it.

I also give a keynote speech, "Brand Yourself Without Getting Burned: Know the Secrets to Finding the Right Brand for You!" Contact Borgeson Consulting to find out more!

2007 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She works with two groups of people: small business owners (with 500 employees or less) to help them increase their Entrepreneurial IQ, which leads to increased profit and decreased stress; and with executives in the "honeymoon phase" of a new position (typically the first two years) to coach them to success. Top athletes have a coach; why not you?

Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson's free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here: Ezine

Articles 2

Gas Fireplaces vs. Wood-Burning Fireplaces

Gas fireplaces have been increasing in popularity of late, especially up here in the Pacific Northwest, where it's often cool and gray. It's hard to beat the ease of flipping on a switch and having an instant fire.

Gas fireplaces are popular in other climates as well. For example, in Arizona, you might want the ambience of flickering flames for a romantic evening at home, but you don't need the heat. That works fine, since gas fireplaces give you the option of operating them with the fan on or off (the fan is what's responsible for blowing heat into the room).

If you're reading this article you probably haven't decided, however, if a gas fireplace is right for you. They cost anywhere from $1500 and up, and in most cases, installing one means you won't be able to use your wood-burning fireplace any more. (Most gas fireplaces come as inserts that fit into your old firebox.) To help you decide, let's look at the pros and cons of each:

Pros of Wood-burning Fireplaces

--You get the crackling realism of a true fire.

--You can practice your fire-building skills every time you want some extra heat.

--They can bring the family together during a power outage.

Cons of Wood-burning Fireplaces

--You have to haul the wood inside, often up stairs.

--You have to clean ashes out of the hearth regularly.

--It takes time to build a regular fire, and then it's a bad idea to leave the house or go to bed as long as it's still burning, so you're committed to a fire for hours.

--Much of the heat goes up the chimney, because wood-burning fireplaces are not energy efficient.

Pros of Gas Fireplaces

--You can have warmth and a fire at the flick of a switch.

--They are energy efficient and warm up a room quickly.

--You don't need to worry about chimney sweeps, creosote, and chimney fires.

Cons of Gas Fireplaces

--Though the flames on many gas fireplaces today are quite realistic, you don't have the sound of crackling wood and the genuine feel of a fire.

--Potential homebuyers who haven't been turned on to the comfort and ease a gas fireplace provides, may prefer a traditional wood-burning hearth.

As you can see, there are arguments for both sides. Is a gas fireplace better than a wood-burning unit? This is something that depends on the tastes of the fireplace-user. It's really up to you and your preferences as to whether you want one over the other.

As someone with two gas fireplaces in the house, I will say that many people don't realize just how wonderful they are until they've owned one themselves. We started with one upstairs, and soon after installed the second in our downstairs fireplace. You just can't beat the convenience of getting out of bed on a cold morning and snapping on the gas fireplace, so you can warm your buns while you dress. And many of today's models have remote controls and automatic timers, so you can program the fireplace to turn on ten or fifteen minutes before your alarm goes off, or you can have the unit turn off after you've gone to sleep. You just don't get that kind of immediate satisfaction with a wood-burning unit.

And, if you're still drawn to the idea of a wood fire, there's always the backyard. Outdoor fire pits are increasingly popular these days.

For more information, visit the author's Fireplace site, where there is a section on Gas Fireplaces.

Structural Beams And Building
One Small Water Leak

Leash Training Your Puppy Can Be a Most Rewarding (and Challenging) Experience!

The sooner you start leash training your puppy, the sooner he will be able to walk with you in a safe, happy environment. However, this isnt always an easy task. Puppies are often afraid of collars and leashes; and as such, should be introduced to them in a loving and patient way.

Before you start leash training your puppy, you should buy him a collar with an id tag, a leash, and some of his favorite treats. You need a regular dog collar, choke collars are not recommended for leash training.

Start the training session by putting the collar comfortably, but securely around the puppys neck. He will probably paw at the collar and roll around at first. Dont laugh at him or encourage this in any way, but dont punish or scold him either. After a few minutes the puppy will forget its there.

Once the puppy accepts the collar, you should attach the leash. Dont pull him; just let him walk around wearing it for a while. Do this indoors with supervision so the puppy cant tangle the leash on something and become hurt. After a few minutes, take the leash off. Repeat this process several times while leash training your puppy. Attaching the leash to his collar at mealtimes will help him to associate the leash with something pleasant.

After he is comfortable wearing the leash, pick up the other end. Dont walk him; instead let him lead you around if he wishes. Try not to put him in a position where he wants to pull or strain against the leash. Try luring him towards you. If he comes, give him lots of praise and possible a treat; if he doesnt come dont punish or scold him because that will only make him more afraid of the leash.

When he begins to walk praise him generously. Every part of leash training needs to be as pleasant for the puppy as possible. When the puppy is comfortable walking on the leash, practice in a familiar area without distractions. Gradually widen the walking area.

Once wearing the collar and walking on the leash are conquered, its time for you and your puppy to learn how to manipulate stairs. The same patience and encouragement required for leash training is necessary for training your puppy to climb stairs. You should find a wide, inviting staircase and sit at the base of the steps with your puppy.

Go up one step and encourage your puppy to follow with your voice and a treat. If he follows make a huge fuss telling him how wonderful he is and give him the treat. Repeat this until he is no longer intimidated by the stairs. While leash training your puppy, never punish him for not climbing the stairs or try to force him. Forcing him will only impede the training process and give him something else to be afraid of.

Although leash training your puppy can be challenging it is absolutely necessary for his safety. Remember, new puppies are a great responsibility and this is only one small part of the training the puppy will need for a smooth and happy transition from a puppy to a dog.

Mike Long runs a dog training website that focuses on educating people about the different ways of training your dog or puppy. If you would like to learn more, including additional articles, and training tips, tricks, and ideas, check out his site at http://dogtraininginfo.wordpress.com.

How Much Will My New House Cost
Solar Energy Use In Home Design

Enchanting Switzerland

Just arrived home from Switzerland and I am already missing it. Switzerland with all its scenic beauty,cow bells and marvelous and ever-ready to help people. One of my husbands' friend had already been to Switzerland and he provided us with a tour plan for four days. We had four days and there was so much to do and see. We tried to squeeze in everything that we could. Instead of staying at a hotel in Inerlaken (it was suggested by our friend and all the Indian crowd invariably land there). Interlaken is in the center of Switzerland, so it can be made base for the tour, but my husband had already talked to his friend in Lausanne and we stayed there for our trip.Lausanne is the Olympic Capital" since 1994. It is home to the Olympic Museum, the most visited site in Switzerland. Bjart Ballet of Lausanne is world-famous.

From what I have seen of Switzerland, I can say that every inch of this country is beautiful, not only the landscapes but people too. It is also worth mentioning that the Swiss people don't talk in English but that won't be a problem if you want some help. They always try to help strangers. I got a rude shock and back to reality message on board the N2 bus from London Victoria station. A drunkard started using abusive language with a lady with a child, saying she wasn't a good mother. The baby started crying.The lady asked the driver to throw the man off the bus but got no reaction, ultimately she herself had to get down earlier.Then the guy turned his attention at Ananya, who was blissfully sleeping through all the clamor, but thankfully nothing untoward happened.

THINGS TO DO:
For adventure sport enthusiasts, Switzerland is a gold mine.You can go trekking on beautiful alps,river rafting, ice skiing, skating, cycling on mountains. Switzerland has a cycling tradition which is not generally seen in London. Swiss trains even have special space provided for cycles.I saw double decker trains for the first time here.There are 3300 km (2046 miles) of well-marked interlinked trails, most of which offer easy cycling. Bicycles can be hired at most railway stations and at many other locations. Those hired at stations can then be returned to any station at the end of the tour. Lakes such as Lake Geneva, Lugano, and Neuchtel offer sailing, water-skiing and canoing. Rowing can be done on Lake Zrich. hiking is a national passion in Switzerland, and hikers are very well catered for. Approximately 50,000km of trails lead through all kinds of terrain in this spectacularly beautiful country. We went to Rhein falls on the first day.It is a photographer's delight.We had luggage with us and there was no place to put it. So we had to drag it with us all the way up and down the stairs. While coming back to the platform we found out that the place where people were depositing their belongings for a ride in boat was very near to platform.Advice: If you have luggage with you then go down to the left from platform,its hardly 50 meters.The person who takes care for the luggage charges 1 frank per suitcase.

SHOPPING:
Chocolates: Swiss chocolates are world famous.They give good competition to Belgian ones. My husbands colleagues at office had demanded that he get them swiss chocolates. We thought of buying them at duty free shops at Geneva airport but all the shops had already closed except one, (our flight was at 9.50 pm) The shop that was opened had very expensive brands but we had to buy them anyways. Advice: Buy chocolates from supermarkets like Coop or Migros. Frey is a good brand and not heavy on the pocket as well. Teuscher (try the champagne truffles) and Sprngli are for fat wallets.

Swiss Army Knife:This knife has a blade as well as various tools, such as screwdrivers and can openers. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II, as they couldn't pronounce its original name, "Offiziersmesser"..

Cow Bells: Of varying sizes, these cowbells are a great hit among Indian tourists.Hindi movie "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaenge" has this scene where Kajol and Shah rukh khan argue over who got first to the shop to buy the cow bell. I also bought one but smaller and more cute.

Watches: Rollex, Omega,TagHeuer, Swatch, Mont Blanc, yes all these brands are swiss.

Cuckoo Clocks: Its not a Swiss product, but cliches are stronger than fact.the cuckoo clock has nothing at all to do with Switzerland. It was invented in the Black Forest of southern Germany in 1738, the area which is still the center of their production.

Cheese: It is said that anyone can make the holes but only swiss can make the cheese.Hard cheese, soft cheese, cottage cheese, cheese made in mountain chalets, cheese made in valley factories, cheese shaved into rosettes, cheese boxed in red pine, cheese melted in wine to make fondue, hot cheese dribbled over potatoes to make raclette...and what not.

Some Interesting Facts About Switzerland:
Many celebrities have made Switzerland their home.Boris Baker lives in Schwyz, in central Switzerland. The great Irish writer James Joyce moved to Switzerland from Paris because of the War. French actress Isabella Adjani settled in Geneva. Charlie Chaplin lived for over 20 years in Switzerland. Roger Moor, the man who incarnated James Bond has lived in Crans-Montana since the end of his acting career. Former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher has been living in Switzerland since 1996.

Bollywood Connection: On an average, 25 Bollywood movies are shot in the picturesque backdrops in switzerland every year. Switzerland was first used as a location by Indian filmmakers in the 1960s, when Raj Kapoor and Shakti Samanta ( both reknowned Indian film directors) went there to shoot "Sangam" and "An Evening in Paris" respectively. In 2002, leading Bollywood director and producer Yash Chopra was conferred the Swiss Filmfare Award by the Switzerland government for his role in promoting the country as a preferred location.

Switzerland is also home to the huge Nestle food company.

Punctuality:Not surprisingly for a country that is known for making clocks, the Swiss have a near-obsession with being on time, trains are never late.

Tour Information Tickets:
No need to feel hassled if you missed your train and now stranded on platform.Ticket counters at every station will give full detail (printed on small leaflets)of the timing, number of train, platform no,trains to be changed and at which station to go to your destination. You can easily plan your journey with the help of these small leaflets.

Geneva is no tourist paradise:
Tourists expect a lot here in the international capital of Switzerland, but Geneva doesn't match to those expectations. Our last day was reserved for Geneva. We reached there around 4 p.m. Geneva is the costliest city in Switzerland. We got on a ride on city train, similar to the one at Lucerne but were fooled. The train only circled round and round in the botanical garden, never allowing us any glimpse of the city. There are private bus tours which will take you to the offices of a horde of international organizations.but Other than the Saturday flea market in Plain de Plainpalais, where you can hunt for that rare music record, there is nothing to do in this small city. The United Nations building, that neighbors other international organizations like ILO, WTO, and UNHCR, is a desolate structure.But like Lucerne, Zrich and Lausanne, you can take a streamer here too and spend four hours enjoying the scenery. Swiss rail pass gives access to all ferries and streamers.

CHAO
There is a lot to write and share, but for now I wind up here. Let's meet some other day and discuss Switzerland over a bite of chocolate.

Old Wood Window Damaged
One Step Handrail

Changing to Greener Gas and Electricity Suppliers

As the majority of the population is aware, there is no longer any reasonable doubt that the dramatic climate change the world is experiencing is down to carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions and its abundance within our environment. What you may not know however, is just how much the UK contributes to this world wide dilemma.

With only 1% of the worlds population, the UK still manages to emit 2.3% of the worlds CO2! Although this figure is an improvement on past years, (this largely being to do with the switch from coal to gas for energy), there is still a lot more that could, and should, be done.

The bulk of the change needs to be made by the people of the UK, as in 2004, the average household emitted around 6 tonnes of CO2; which is the equivalent to 34 double-decker buses! This is due to the burning of fossil fuels in the energy stations used to supply energy to our homes. Along with emitting the most CO2, such energy sources are generally hazardous and unreliable; this is why they are referred to as non-renewable sources. Some of these sources may be exhausted within the next 70 years. Although this sounds like an alarming prospect, the solution is simple to generate energy without creating CO2.

This is achieved by harnessing our energy requirements from renewable sources, such as; hydroelectric; biomass; wind; and solar sources. Not only will this have the obvious bonus of lowering the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but the deadly risks associated with non-renewable sources will be a thing of the past. energy suppliers, who employ such methods, are known as green energy suppliers.

There are an increasing number of such gas and electricity suppliers that have strict green electricity tariffs, with the main players being Good energy , Green energy and Ecotricity. As well as these strictly green suppliers, the more popular nPower, Scottish Power and PowerGen are all offering their own green tariffs. Along with ensuring that all energy is sourced from renewable sources, these suppliers may also use the consumers premium to invest into renewable energy projects. To ensure that you get the best deal for your money and make an informed choice on whether the green option is right for you, you should consider using an online comparison site to compare green gas and electricity suppliers.

If you are concerned that your current electricity suppliers may be part of the problem and not the solution, then use the internet to compare greener gas and electricity prices

Upper View Of Brown Exterior Stair

How I Made a Faux Raised Stone Wall Border or Chair Rail

When redoing my kitchen I wanted to add a chair rail border midway on one wall. I wanted something different, not your usual wood rail. So I looked at the different raised stencils thinking that they might make a nice rail and thought about using flat painted borders but decided that they were not the effect I wanted.

It then came to mind to do something very different. I created a faux solid stone rough rail 2 wide by a little less than thick.

I used a water based patching plaster compound (Spackling) to create this effect.

First I measured and marked way down the wall, then measured and marked 2 below that.

For edge guides I used a cut cardboard box for my bottom edge and a yardstick for my upper edge, taping them to the wall as I needed them and removing them and replacing them as I went. This allowed the thickness to be a little less than a . Be sure to remove any spackling build up to the edge guides as you go either with a wet rag or a putty knife.

I used a putty knife to apply the spackling and then wetted the putty knife to swirl the spackling to the stone finish that suited me. If it got to dry as I was going I applied a bit of water to the top. You can also use the wet putty knife to define the top and bottom edges the way you want them. I have mine with a rougher uneven edge.

If any spackling gets where you dont want it, use a wet rag to remove it while it is still wet and sanding can remove any that has dried. After applying the spackling I let it dry at least 24 hrs then sand any that might of gotten on the wall where it wasnt wanted.

Before applying the first base coat of paint make sure the spackling is completely dry (at least 24 hrs). I used the same color and type of paint (flat latex in bone white) as was used on the bottom portion of the wall for the first base paint. This covered any smudges of spackling that might of gotten on the bottom wall.

Next I allowed the base coat of paint to dry completely.

Using acrylic craft paint I mixed a color of flat dark sage for the second coat. This accented the colors in the rose floral wallpaper that was to go up and also the new curtains that I'd picked out for the kitchen. I applied this second coat of paint, covering most of the base paint, only allowing small amounts of the base to show through. Then I used metallic acrylic paints in silver and copper and pearlized acrylic paint in white satin, applying them in sweeps and swirls to give the rail more depths and accents.

Everyone says it turned out great and best of all I like it :-).

Pictures of Faux Raised Stone Wall Rail =>http://www.shopazeche.com/faux-rail.html

Sylvia M. Johnson

Ms. Johnson is the owner and webmaster of ShopAzeche http://www.shopazeche.com/ She also owns and operates Design by Azeche Co http://www.azeche.net/ a company that does web design and development for numerous businesses around the country.

Articles 2

Building A Brand Without Breaking The Bank

If you traveled to a remote island and had to take some non-alcoholic beverage, would you prefer an unknown brand taken by the natives to Coca-Cola?

If you're like me, I'll insist on something I am conversant with.

All over the world, Coca-Cola is known. People have come to trust their products. I guess if some folks travel to another planet and see a bottle of Coca-Cola they'll pop it open without asking questions.

Why that level of trust?

Coca-Cola is a worldwide brand. People have been so bombarded with adverts about Coca-Cola that they just pop up on our minds once we need a drink.

Yahoo is a known brand. Google is a respected brand. We can go on and on, but how can you build a brand seeing you don't have even a tiny fraction of the funds available to these giants?

The internet gives you an opportunity that was never present in the whole of history. You can reach your world without spending your world if you know how to go about it.

Someone calls it building your brand of one. It is the act of preselling or pre-selling.

It is building trust and confidence through high value and useful content. I mean content that is so good that they keep coming back for more. And as they keep coming back for more, you transform from a distant stranger at the other end of the world to a trusted expert or even the trusted expert. You can also grow to become an authority and then, the authority in your chosen niche.

No, you can't match Coca-Cola in throwing the bucks around. However, you can so dominate a niche that Coca-Cola would have to get your consent if they plan to do anything in that niche.

The good news is that everybody can do this stuff -- And that includes you.

Would you like to learn how to do it? You don't have to be a Nobel playwright or literary genius. If you can read and write, that's all you need. Get all the help you need here.

I also teach folks how to get 100,000 high quality visitors monthly within 12 months. You can join this group of winners here.

Chimezirim Odimba helps people succeed online.

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Why Brand Yourself?

Think back to a time early in your career when you met with your boss for a performance review. Do you ever remember your boss stating something about your ability in a certain area, as if that was all you were good at?

Or has someone ever introduced you at a business function by stating an area of your expertise as if that was all you did? (Which made you think, Hey! Thats only a piece of what I do, but its certainly not all I do!)

If either of these situations occurred, you were branded (and burned!).

Perhaps something like this happened to you recently, or maybe youre wondering if you ever really defined your brand. (Its not too late!)

You can define your brand, re-work your brand, or tweak your brand. The important thing is that you know your brand and use it to its fullest potential.

Why Brand Yourself?

Branding yourself opens new and better doors for you. It ensures that you focus on work that you enjoy and that utilizes your strengths (even in creative ways). It also keeps you current in your field so that you can re-position your brand, if needed.

Branding yourself also ensures that other people are not in control of your brand. Last month I wrote, If you dont brand yourself, someone else will and it may not be the brand you want for yourself. When you let other people brand you, you let them control your future. You also let them control how others perceive you.

Wouldnt it be better if you branded yourself, controlled how others perceived you, and had more control over your future than other people?

And while thinking about why you would brand yourself, consider what you want branding to do for you, such as build credibility, earn more money, ensure that you will thrive in economic downturns, or open new doors of opportunity.

What else do you want branding to do for you?

This self-branding thing can get really involved: there are a lot of steps to discovering, creating, and marketing yourself as a brand successfully. To help you out, I've created a "Brand Yourself! Coaching Program". It is a self-paced coaching program you can purchase directly from Borgeson Consulting. I'm very excited about this program! Since it is self-paced, it is very affordable - less expensive than traditional coaching by telephone, and you complete it at your own pace.

The "Brand Yourself! Coaching Program" has 10 modules, taking you through each of the essential elements of personal branding. Call (630-653-0992) or e-mail (info@BorgesonConsulting.com) to find out more about it.

I also give a keynote speech, "Brand Yourself Without Getting Burned: Know the Secrets to Finding the Right Brand for You!" Contact Borgeson Consulting to find out more!

2007 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She works with two groups of people: small business owners (with 500 employees or less) to help them increase their Entrepreneurial IQ, which leads to increased profit and decreased stress; and with executives in the "honeymoon phase" of a new position (typically the first two years) to coach them to success. Top athletes have a coach; why not you?

Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson's free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here: Ezine

4 X 4 Stair Handrail Post

Seal Your Flue Pipes: Homeowners Clinic

Ducts carry heated or cooled air. Under normal operation, they don't carry combustion byproducts and are sealed as a matter of energy efficiency, not combustion safety. Sheetmetal flue pipes, on the other hand, carry combustion gases from the furnace or the boiler to the chimney. They are not sealed to the same extent that ducts are.

In the absence of a significant catastrophe like a hurricane or earthquake, finding a job as an insurance adjuster can prove challenging. The field for independent adjusters can be particularly tricky and those looking to break into the industry need every competitive advantage available to them. Knowing how to write an industry-focused insurance adjuster resume can provide new and experienced adjusters alike with a particularly unique advantage.

Crafting a powerful and effective resume for work as a claims adjuster obviously requires first understanding what particular qualities hiring companies look for. Here are 5 keys to a great resume based upon the particular needs of adjusting firms and insurance carriers:

Key #1: People Skills

Insurance claims adjusters should possess excellent people skills and hiring companies will certainly take notice of a resume that paints a picture of superior interpersonal communication. You dont have to be Dale Carnegie, but you should be able to demonstrate an ability to deal with a wide variety of people in various stages of stress, anxiety, and agitation. Emphasize in your resume the polite, professional, and cordial manner with which you have effectively dealt with people under the aforementioned conditions.

Key #2: Construction/Engineering Experience

If you are applying for a position as a residential property adjuster, you will most certainly want to highlight your experience with residential construction. Do you have a working knowledge of how a house is put together? Do you know the difference between soffit and fascia? If so, how do you know? Have you worked on a construction crew? Operated as a general contractor? Helped your uncle out with building his deck? Adjusting firms in particular do not want to devote significant amounts of time in training their adjusters in basic construction terminology. Allay their fears immediately by highlighting your facility with the property construction pertinent to the position you are applying for.

Key #3: Computer Skills

The days of hand-written estimates are essentially over for the professional insurance adjuster. Estimates are written and submitted electronically and if you know your way around a computer it will be greatly to your advantage as you put together your resume. Many companies will not even consider a new hire unless he or she is comfortable using Xactimate 24/25 or MSB Integriclaim (the most commonly used property estimating programs). If you dont know these programs consider taking a course in Xactimate or IntegriClaim. If you are unable to take a course, at the very least you should express clearly in your resume an ability to use Windows-based software. If you are completely computer illiterate, you may consider taking a Basic Computing course before you seriously pursue a career in claims.

Key #4: Insurance Policy Knowledge

Knowing how to read and apply an insurance policy is very important for any adjuster and hiring companies know it. If you have worked in the insurance industry before and have a basic knowledge of insurance terms and concepts you shouldnt fail to portray as much in your resume. Even if it is as simple as having read your own homeowners or auto policy (more than most do!), you will want to let your prospective employers know about your comfort level with insurance policy jargon and interpretation.

Key #5: Time Management and Personal Accountability

Working as a claims adjuster, especially if you want to be an independent, requires outstanding time management as well as personal initiative and accountability. In putting together your resume, be sure to think about various experiences in your professional history in which multi-tasking and personal accountability were required and met. Within reason and your own honest ability, project the most professional, capable, can-do image possible. This, as much as anything, will leave a positive and lasting impression on your future employer.

A Final Thought on Your Adjuster Resume

As resumes and curriculum vitaes are submitted more and more in electronic form, there is a temptation to lower your standards for the appearance and grammatical integrity for your resume. After all, we dont observe Strunk and Whites Elements of Style when emailing and text messaging why should we really observe those old-fashioned standards when posting an electronic resume? Indeed, many optimistic job seekers are submitting 2nd to 3rd grade quality material to career sites on the Web. Is it any wonder that no one is giving them a second glance?

Keep your standards high! Take the time to write a well-considered, grammatically sound, and visually pleasing resume. And if you create your resume according to the 5 keys above, you will absolutely gain a competitive advantage as you look to launch or advance your insurance adjuster career.

To learn more and for resume consultation services, check out AdjusterPro's guide to the insurance adjuster resume

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: In addition to his work as a catastrophic claims adjuster, Daniel Kerr acted as the V.P. of Operations for one of the most successful adjuster licensing companies in the country helping to grow the business into the most recognized brand in the industry.

Mr. Kerr currently co-owns and operates AdjusterPro LLC, a rapidly growing business dedicated to providing the finest resources available to aspiring claims adjusters. AdjusterPro is a certified educational provider for the Texas Department of Insurance and will be offering adjuster licensing, Xactimate 25 training, and continuing education courses this fall. For free consultation on advancing your insurance adjuster career or to find out more about how to become an insurance adjuster, call AdjusterPro directly at 214-606-8370.

There are Lucrative Careers in Trades and Labor

As the old saying goes your home is your castle. Whether you are building, improving, or just maintaining your home, many tradesmen or women will be assisting you to that end. When such a valuable asset is being worked on by another, quality is one of your foremost concerns. This quality comes from knowledge and experience in ones field as well as a certain amount of self respect and pride in ones work. Unfortunately, previous generations regarded these jobs with more respect, which has precipitated a collapse in the size of our younger labor pool. Over the past ten years construction workers in the 20-30 age group declined from 40.5 percent to 26.5 percent. The percentage of workers in the 41-50 age group increased from 18 to 26 percent(1).

Labor drying up has made it so contractors of all sizes are on their own, forced to recruit and train on an individual basis. This is an ineffective process and cost prohibitive (1). In a time when fewer workers are entering the market the industry is poised for growth. This gives employers fewer choices, causes them to settle for lower standards in workers and service, and allows competitors to gain market share who are willing to compromise service standards even further. If companies want to fill their vacant positions, they might have to loosen up their hiring standards, too, said Jim Mize, manager of employer outreach at Pima County One-Stop Career Center(5). Does this seem unfair for the consumer with their castle and the honest hard working Americans that have pride in their work?

Most high school students have no idea what one can earn by learning a trade, A journeyman generally earns between $28 and $32 an hour (up to $64,000 a year)--a pretty nice wage for a 23-year-old. Most states require a plumber to have 2 to 10 years of experience at the apprentice level to qualify as a journeyman. My neighbor attended a trade school. He is a tool and die maker. He learned the skill in night classes. After spending time as an apprentice, he opened his own shop. It is now a multi-million dollar business (3,4). A competent person learning a skilled trade can easily achieve the American dream. We at 10 best Tucson are on a mission to find the best home service professionals in Tucson and share them with the community. By uniting community officials and business leaders under the common goal of higher quality trades in the labor pool, the ability for honest companies to grow without compromising their excellent service records will be achievable. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao recently announced her Skills to Build Americas Future initiative. It will reach out to a new generation of tradesmen and women and encourage them to use their skills and talents to find careers that will help to pave the way to a fulfilling career and bright financial future (Doleta).

This message must be made clear to the future of our local labor market and to current workers who are considering changing careers. These skills that are currently cultivated by a unique few are ones to be proud of, and can be quite lucrative as well. Becoming a journeyman and with an entrepreneurial co-education or an enterprising spirit practically ensures an exalted status of financial wealth. These are pragmatic messages that must be presented to our youth. Our businesses can grow while maintaining their integrity and providing the absolute best possible service to home owners and customers. They deserve it. Keep a watchful eye on this topic. 10 best Tucson will be the catalyst for change.

1. Louis J. Coletti, Workforce development needs for industry are great, Real Estate Weekly, Feb 23, 2005.

2. Ilana Mercer, U.S. Jobs: Reach for the Stars e or a Hammer, Insight on the News, May 11, 2004.

3. Billijo Saffold and Bobbi Aschwanden Thomas, Should high schools prepare all students for college?, NEA Today, November 2005.

4. Susan Sales Harkins, Plumb perfect: sure, drains and pipes can be messy-but plumbing has plenty of rewards, Career World, September 2005.

5. Shelley Shelton, Local companies find tight market for workers, Arizona Daily Star, September 02, 2007.

Todd Cuson is an experienced qualification officer for 10 best Tucson and has a Masters degree in Organizational Management.

http://10bestTucson.com is a resource for builders, tradesmen and homeowners in Tucson, Arizona.

Article Source: http://10besttucson.com/Articles/General/Careers_in_trade/

Articles 2

Six Key Aspects Of A Home Equity Loan

Ever feel lost when people talk about subjects like a home equity loan? It certainly does sound something like what you would hear on a business news show. But for every homeowner or someone considering property purchase, home equity is an important concept to grasp. It really isnt very complicated either. Therefore, piror to understanding a home equity loan, lets first talk about home equity.

What is home equity?

Equity can simply be understood as the monetary value of something you own after you deduct the amount of outstanding loan you have on it. For example, if your house is worth $200,000 and you owe your finance company $50,000, then the equity of your home would be $150,000. So basically, the more loans you clear on your home the greater equity it will have. A surge in the real estate market and prices of property also helps in adding on to your home equity.

What is a home equity loan?

Now that you have an idea of what a home equity is, lets get into a home equity loan. Simply put, it is the process of taking a second mortgage on your home. For example, if your have recently bought a house for $200,000 on mortgage, a home equity loan will allow you to secure a second mortgage of 25% of your first mortgage, which would be $25,000 in this case. Depending on the lender, one may even be given as much as 80% of the original mortgage for their second mortgage.

Six key aspects to consider

1.First of all, issue a home equity loan only if you must. It is always better to not have any additional loans than the one you already posses.

2.If you do feel you need to secure a home equity loan, then you will generally need to have a great credit score since this loan is mostly given to those who are considered qualified borrowers, i.e. those who have a good track record of paying back on time what they have borrowed.

3.Keep in mind that apart from the credit score, your home itself will also be on the line as collateral with the lender. So defaulting on your loan could result in losing your home.

4.One good advantage of a home equity loan is the fact that the interest rate is generally lower than those of credit cards. So if you do need to borrow money through a credit card for something large, then this would be a less expensive option. But make sure you do a proper comparison of the cost of borrowing money with other options that you might have.

5.The interest you pay on your home equity loan is also tax deductible, which can be a huge benefit when you are cash strapped. But there are limitations to this, so look into it carefully.

6.Shop around. Dont jump into the first option you see on being issued a home equity loan. Find out how you can get the best interest rate (fixed or adjustable) and read the fine print on your withdrawal limit.

Upper View Of Brown Exterior Stair

The Secret to Golf Length

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethpage Black, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent forth two of his disciples. (Mark 11:1 K.J.V.) "Verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall have great length on Earth shall have unheard of length in Heaven", said Jesus to his disciples. And so the quest for great length off the tee began.

Every golfer is searching for the secret to golf. The secret is that there is a secret to golf, and you are about to learn it. Everyone knows that money is the root of all evil. Jesus commanded everyone to sell all of their possessions and to give all of the money to the poor. Are there any Christians on Earth today? When Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and he said, Is it not written, My House shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15-17).

During the time of Christ, golfers used wooden golf balls and wooden golf clubs made from the hickory tree. Then, in the early 1600s, the featherie golf ball was invented. The featherie golf ball was a hand sewn cowhide bag stuffed with goose feathers and painted. Because it flew so beautifully, it lasted for 200 years. In 1848 Reverend Doctor Robert Adams hardened the sap of the gutta percha tree into latex and invented the gutta percha golf ball, which replaced the featehrie golf ball from 1850 until 1900, when rubber took over. The rubber balls lasted until 1930. Todays balls have a titanium metal core with many layers of surlyn and balata coverings. Golf club shafts evolved from hickory tree wood with persimmon tree heads to steel shafts and now to graphite shafts with very large titanium heads. Despite the incredible advances in golf club and golf ball technology, the handicaps of male and female golfers have not gone down, according to noted author and custom club fitter Steven Passarell. How could this be? Here is the answer.

Famed Psychiatrist and 9 Handicap Sigmund Freud explained the human ego: The human ego is the part of the cerebellum concerned most with feeling like a great human being. In many cases of over developed cerebelli, the human being begins to believe that in a prior life, he was the Messiah Jesus Christ, or Napoleon Bonaparte, as a defense mechanism to the haranguing of over critical parents and the resulting wounded ego. (Austrian Journal of Medicine Volume XXIV, page 69). Golf club and golf ball manufacturers have known forever that the most important thing to the male and female golfer, the cure for an ego wounded in childhood is distance off the tee.

According to Stephen Hawking, the worlds greatest scientist, the Earth is 5 billion years old. A mere 2,500 years ago in Gehenna, just south of Jerusalem, in the valley of Gehinnom, the Jewish and non Jewish people of the land of Canaan used to sacrifice their first born male children on fire altars to the God Baal aka Beelzebub aka Satan. The drummers beat their drums loudly to drown out the screams of the burning alive babies. Golf club and golf ball manufacturers have known forever that golfers were perfectly willing to sacrifice accuracy and $500 for added distance off the tee. Their first clue was when golfers in the long drive competition would throw down their driver after their massive hit, and beat their chests with both fists, like the apes with which humans have 99% the same DNA.

From the time of Jesus Christ until the time of Jack Nicklaus, scientists knew that the exactly perfect length for the mens driver was 43. It didnt matter how tall you were because God gave taller players longer arms. Every golf club manufacturer from the time of Jesus until the time of Jack knew that if you made the driver shaft even 1/8 of an inch longer, the golfer would hit into the ground, and in an effort not to hit into the ground, the golfer would make swing changes and then begin to spray the ball all over the park. This is why at long driving contests the fairway is the width of a football field and the golfers with their long shafts are still blowing it out of bounds.

In the 1990s golf club manufacturers began to make the driver shafts 2 and 3 inches longer, 45 and 46. They marketed the fact that these golf clubs hit the ball further and golfers did not care if their 300 yard drive flew two fairways over that made the drive seem even longer. Ladies drivers went from the standard 42.5 inches used by Mary Magdalene and Kathy Whitworth to 44 and 45. As Nike Golf made millions selling 45 drivers, Tiger Woods continued to play with 43 steel shafted Nike drivers, and Tiger continued to lead in driving distance and piled up major after major playing against Pros who had switched to the 45 driver trying to match Tigers distance. Augusta National lengthened their golf course after Tiger won the Masters at 18 under. Jack Nicklaus and Slammin Sammy Snead hit the ball 300 yards right down the middle using 43 steel shafts with persimmon tree heads. The whole time that Tiger was on his major rampage, Nike Golf refused to make drivers with 43 shafts available to the public.

Billions of dollars of advertising have gone into convincing the public that 45 and 46 drivers are the next best thing to the arrival of Jesus Christ. Taylor Made and Titleist and Callaway and Nike Golf are making fortunes selling these too long shafts, and the PGA of America couldnt be happier. Their 32,000 golf professionals are making a fortune teaching golfers how to hit their too long woods and irons a feat impossible for the average golfer, which leads to endless lessons and purchases of golf books and golf magazines filled with golf tips and videos and CDs and golf swing training accessories. Suddenly, along comes Peter Kessler hawking the Perfect Club, because it goes straight, but the Perfect Driver loses about 75 yards in distance because get this, the shaft is 42 inches. The inch decrease costs the golfer a ton of yardage.

The first big golf company coming out with a graphite shafted 43 driver with a titanium head, with the new Prov1x golf ball, is going to wipe out the rest of the other golf club manufacturers, and bring the average handicap down by 8 shots, because there is no loss of distance, and the ball goes dead straight. In the meantime men cut your shaft down to 43 and ladies cut your shafts down to 42.5 inches. There will be no loss in accuracy or distance. Until then, choke up on your driver 2 and watch the ball fly long and straight off that big sweet spot time after time again. Shaving 8 shots off your score instantaneously should be a good thing for your ego and your bank account. This will also speed up pace of play, David Fay. Hasnt your ego suffered enough humiliation hunting for your $5 golf ball in the trees yet? In our next installment we will discuss how your golf club manufacturers silently de-lofted all of your club heads turning your 9 iron into a 7 iron to make you think that you are hitting your shaft lengthened de-lofted 9 iron farther. Didnt Jack use his towering ball flight to hold the greens at Augusta? The pros have their clubs custom made. You arent using the same clubs they are. Only the label is the same.

Speaking of Jesus, the X factor golf swing has been heralded as a way to improve your distance. It means that you keep your left heel down, make a tiny hip turn and a big shoulder turn to hit the ball farther. A noted former PGA tour player turned orthopedic surgeon, Bill Mallon, M.D., calls this the fastest way to blow out your back and wind up in excruciating life long pain, in his book, The Golf Doctor: How to Play a Better Healthier Round of Golf. Didnt Jack do OK letting his left heel come 2 off the ground? The surgeon recommends letting it come up even farther to save your back. Harry Vardons came up about 5 inches. Jesus recommended three. There is no need to sacrifice your back in your quest for added length off the tee. Try a longer driver, or a new golf psychologist. The only people not benefiting from these long shafts are the golfers. Everyone else, the whole golf industry, is laughing all the way to the bank.

Karen Fish is a writer currently living in Los Angeles California. The Temple of Love http://www.thetempleoflove.com/ The World Peace Site

Articles 2

Fire Pit Coffee Tables

A fire pit coffee table is an extremely functional coffee table. They provide a warm and cozy center piece for any outdoor gathering. And don't worry about safety or cleanliness. Fire pit tables are very clean and very safe.

Using Real Wood

One of the things I always tell people who are looking to purchase a fireplace coffee table is that they should not purchase a table that requires real wood.

Real wood is very messy and can also be hazardous. Burning real wood is ok in a brick fireplace because it is contained. In a fire pit table theres no cover and no protection from sparks.

You dont want sparks thrown from real wood creating burn marks or catching something on fire. Real wood is just too dangerous.

What you want is to pick a fire pit coffee table that comes with ceramic logs and vent free alcohol based fuel. These types of fireplace coffee tables will produce beautiful dancing, snapping, crackling flames just like real wood but without the worry of dangerous sparking.

The tables with ceramic logs and formulated vent free alcohol based fuel can be safely enjoyed in a screened in porch, wooden deck, or in the backyard.

Buying Fire Pit Coffee Tables Online

A lot of people are not used to buying things online. Its not something that most people are accustomed to. It can make people a little weary to not purchase something from a local store like Target or Wal-Mart.

The only problem is that Target and Wal-Mart will not carry fire pit coffee tables. They just dont have the selection you can find online. They may have a few coffee tables but the ones they do carry will not be of high quality.

Therefore you have a much better chance of purchasing high quality, functional, beautiful coffee tables online.

And buying furniture of any kind online has its major advantages. For one thing, you dont have to worry about waiting in line or listening to screaming kids or deal with pushy sales people. All you have to do is point, click, purchase and your coffee table will be delivered right to your front door. Thats another thing you dont have to worry about when you purchase a coffee table online - you dont have to worry about how youre going to get it home. Its delivered right to you!

And you have a HUGE selection of coffee tables to choose from. Hundreds of different styles and designs that your local furniture store could never carry. And you can view them all in less than an hour without even leaving your home. Its so easy and convenient.

The only thing you must be aware of is the web site that you are planning on buying your table from. Make sure they are a reputable business. The checkout process should be secure. That is the most important thing to watch out for.

How do you tell if the checkout process is secure? Simple, click on something you want to buy, then when you reach the checkout process the http: in your address bar should change to https. It will have the added s on the end so you know its secure. There also may be a small lock in the lower right hand corner of your screen. This also indicates a secure checkout process.

So good luck in purchasing your fire pit coffee tables online! Just remember to check for a secure checkout process and have as much fun as you can!

The web's number one place to find the perfect fire pit coffee tables to fit your personal style. Information, pictures, recommendations and much more...

Visit http://www.perfect-coffee-tables.com/fire-pit-coffee-tables.html

Buyhome

Surround Sound for Your Home Theater System

If you think you can take those old stereo speakers and hook them up to your television set in order to create surround sound for your home theater system, you are cheating yourself out of an auditory delight. True, you would hear the audio sounds from the program you were watching, but surround sound works differently. With a properly set up set of speakers, the sound quality is optimized, making you feel as if whatever is happening on the television screen is actually taking place in the room where you are sitting - especially if you close your eyes!

A good set of speakers will include what is called a digital media port, which will allow you to expand the usefulness of your home theater system even more. With this option, you can play music from your computer's hard drive, an iPod, or any Bluetooth device, and enjoy the incredible range and tone that the speakers produce.

A basic set of surround sound speakers for your home theater system will include three to five wall mountable speakers for a wide, clear sound field, along with a subwoofer to further enhance the entire audio spectrum. Generally, you will need two front speakers, two rear speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer for the best sound. Once you get everything set up, prepare to be amazed. You will be able to actually "feel" the sound as it reverberates! It would be best to find a set that has a magnetically shielded center speaker, so that this one can be placed close to your television set without any sort of image distortion. Your subwoofer should also have a power supply of its own for best results.

A good receiver is a big part of the surround sound package for your home theater system. The receiver for your speakers should be as high a wattage as possible for the best sound, and should be equipped with at least a 4 channel Dolby Pro Logic decoder. Look for the inclusion of Digital Cinema Sound technology and Auto Calibration for clean, crisp, realistic sound quality. The best receivers will have separate and distinct sound filed controls for music and movies, and easy to reach connections for headphones, optional antennas, and of course, speakers. Most will include a microphone which will balance the speakers for you, giving you the best audio with very little effort on your part.

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Custom Home Building

Pressure Treated Lumber

If you are building a deck, retaining wall or a swing set for the kids it is highly likely that your material of choice is pressure treated lumber.

Pressure treated lumber, if installed properly, should provide a 40 year useable life. However, there are some things about pressure treated lumber that you have to know, in order to obtain that life and not have your project fall apart in a few years.

To create pressure treated lumber, raw lumber is impregnated with two waterborne compounds that are copper based chemicals. The amount of copper basically determines the usage and all pressure treated lumber, sold in the US, is supposed to have a tag stapled to the end of the board signifying its pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood product:

0.25 Above Ground

0.40 Ground Contact

0.60 Permanent Wood Foundation

2.50 Salt Water

Because the lumber is impregnated with Copper, the choice of fasteners becomes very important. When two dissimilar metals come in contact with one another a galvanic reaction is created, the outcome is that the materials corrode and disintegrate. The higher the levels of copper in the lumber the faster that the corrosion will occur.

Although most people realize that they must use corrosion resistant fasteners and connectors many do not consider items such as flashings and light poles that are also in contact with the pressure treated lumber. Of course the best metals to use for fasteners, flashings and anything else that comes in contact with the deck is stainless steel or copper whenever possible. Stainless steel is expensive and copper is not conveniently available at your local lumber supply so the next best material is steel that has been galvanized.

Galvanized fasteners come in different grades (the thickness of the coating), better manufactures mark the box with a G rating. The higher the G rating, the more zinc used. You shouldnt use less than a G-90 rating and engineers are now suggesting the use of G-185. If the box is not marked it is probably a G-60 or less and this will not provide enough zinc coating to prevent galvanization from occurring. Cadmium plated nuts, bolts and screws do not provide any protection from corrosion whatsoever.

Some manufactures have created composite coatings for use with pressure treated lumber. Read the label on the box and make sure that what you are buying is suitable for the job.

Do not use aluminum flashing, deck flashing must be stainless steel, galvanized or copper. Aluminum corrodes very quickly when in contact with copper. This also means that metals items that come in contact with the pressure treated lumber must also be protected, items such as outdoor furniture, and barbeques should have rubber or vinyl feet or wheels.

For additional information on pressure treated lumber for your home or other renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

Home Siding Material

There are numerous types of siding available for today's homes offering different advantages and/or disadvantages. Certain types of siding are more popular in some areas of the country than others, influenced largely by climate and availability of product. Price also influences the type of siding chosen by a builder or a home owner.

Types of siding available:

1. Aluminum or Vinyl Siding These siding options are available on new homes as well as often put on over older types of siding. The biggest advantage of this type of siding is that they do not require painting. The disadvantage is that aluminum siding dents and vinyl siding cracks. Vinyl siding has improved over time as the quality of vinyl improves.

2. Masonite Siding or Hardi Plank These siding options have a similar appearance but offer very different results. Masonite siding deteriorates over time and requires painting, caulking and routine upkeep. Hardi Plank (a brand name) is a similar looking product but is made of cement and therefore does not rot. It is growing in popularity and is a terrific alternative to Masonite.

3. Brick or Stone Both of these products provide an excellent siding option. They are virtually indestructible as well as attractive. They do not require the routine maintenance that other types of siding require. The biggest drawback is price, although in some areas of the country it is still very affordable.

4. Stucco Traditional stucco is made with cement and offers a solid, lasting, moisture proof siding. It is seen a great deal in Florida where the climate would require constant upkeep on other types of siding and the solid cement siding keeps the houses cooler than traditional siding.

5. Cedar Shakes For those who love the look of cedar shakes, it is an excellent alternative to Masonite siding as it requires less maintenance. When treated with stain it does not rot or peel.

6. Veneer & Synthetic Siding These siding alternatives give you the appearance of other types such as stucco or brick, but do not give you the quality or longevity.

7. Clapboard Siding that is made from solid wood is more costly than other types of siding but lasts longer and looks better than other manufactured sidings such as Masonite. It is also a product that lends itself well to stain and therefore will not peel as siding that is painted.

8. Steel and Vinyl Coatings These are becoming more and more popular. They are more expensive but are nearly indestructible thus requiring little maintenance. Vinyl Coatings are applied like paint but are much thicker. Since it is a relatively new product it is important to find a company that will apply it correctly as applying incorrectly can cause many problems.

Stucco

Residential Fencing

Although there are many different types of residential fencing perhaps aluminum is the most popular. This is a galvanized steel product with a hard wearing powder coat finish. It is designed to add beauty and value to residential homeowners. There are a wide variety of styles and colors to select from and any of them will complement any color that you may have on your home. This type of fence is designed with the residential person in mind and provides a level of quality and resilience that the home owner needs. This fence is made for durability to withstand the elements and it is possible to have a special formulated powder coating made to suit your needs.

This power coated system of polyester resin prevents early rusting. This type of fencing comes in eight-foot sections to cut down on time and labor. The posts that are provided will hold the pickets firmly in place and will adapt to any contour of slopes in your landscape. The panels can be secured to the post without any welding and there are brackets provided. Most of these come with a 12 year warranty.

You can find these available from 4 foot to 6 foot high and there are many different colors to choose from. This fence carries very low-maintenance which can free up your time for other things. Whether you need a picket fence or a privacy fence, this fencing can provide what you need. If you have animals that you want to keep in or animals that you want to keep out, this is the fence that can provide the security for you. With its low maintenance, durability, and appealing look this fence will be a welcome addition to your home. No matter what your needs this fence can provide what you're looking for.

For lots of information on remodeling your home and other related topics, visit Fences Guide at www.fencesguide.com

Top Of Stair Stinger Layout

Titanium Cookware Revolutionizes Cooking

What exactly is this fantastic metal that is taking a whole range of industries by storm? Titanium, a silvery metallic element which is extensively used as material for various products, from expensive eyeglasses to aeronautical equipment, is highly regarded because it has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal known to man.

This simply means that titanium is strong yet lightweight absolutely perfect for cookware. Although we have always associated strength and durability with heavy iron-cast pots and pans, it's time to shift standards and go modern with titanium.

Aside from its durability, titanium cookware has also proven to be scratch-proof and warp-resistant. It also has a finish that your friends will envy when they visit you for dinner. Titanium cookware is also safe for cooking because it is non-porous. Any alloys and metals used in their manufacture would not contaminate the food with toxic materials.

Because of this, you'll always have food that retains the ingredients' moisture and nutrients. Titanium cookware will also give you flavorful food as no leached substances interfere with the true taste of what you're cooking.

There is a premium, however, for all of titanium cookware's outstanding qualities. Its price is not accessible to everyone, as a small piece can cost as much as $100. Perhaps in due time, when there is enough competition from manufacturers of titanium cookware, their prices will become more affordable.

It's good enough for now that consumers who are willing to try this revolutionary product would be able to save considerably on cooking time and the use of oil for cooking. Titanium cookware is made of nonstick surfaces which are very easy to clean.

They are also ideal for backpacking trips because of their light weight. The camping product line includes compact titanium cookware, small dishes, and cups. Campers don't mind the costs because there's just nothing better than titanium cookware.

You can also find more info on Microwave Cookware and Nonstick Cookware. Cookware-help.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Cook Ware and its Varities Like Glass, Nonstick, and Titanium Cook Ware.

Do It Yourself Home Help